Rotary internal-combustion engine.



A. M. BRIGGS.

ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE H. 1917,

L32fl54 PatentedMay 6, 1919.

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A. M. BRIGGS.

ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

I APPLICATION I ILED IUNE II. I917. I 3UQ 5U L O Patented May 6, 1919.

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ROTARY INTERIFAIa-COMBUFTKON specification o1 Letter-a uatent.

Patented may d, M99119 Application filed June 11, 1917. serial No. 174,093.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR M. Barnes, a citizen of the United States, and a resident ofRedondo Beach, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Rotary Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to internal combustion engines, and more particularly to those of the rotary type.

An object of the present invention is to provide a rotary internal combustion engine comprising but relatively few movable parts which may be made relatively large, and which may be readily assembled upon and within the stator and rotor of the engine, all of the parts of the engine being of relatively simple and economical construction.

The invention further aims at the provision of a motor of this character which consumes a relatively smallamount of fuel for the power produced, and a motor whlch may be maintained economically and which has but slight vibration.

The above, and various other objects and advantages of this invention will be in part described, and in part understood, from the following detailed description of the present preferred embodiment, the same being illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section taken through a motor constructed according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same, parts thereof being broken away and shown in section.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken substantially centrally through the 'motor, parts of the same beingshown in elevation.

Fig. 4 is an outer side-elevation of the motor, on a reduced scale, the shaft being shown in section.

Fig. 5 is a'transverse horizontal section taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig.

'1, through the compression chamber, disclosing the valve regulating the passage of the charge therethrough.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section, on a reduced scale, takenlongitudinally throu h the lower end of the casing or stator su stantially on the line 66 of Fig. 1, showing the exhaust and intake ports.

Referring to these drawings, wherein like parts are designated by similar characters of reference throughout the several views, 10 designates the casing or stator which is substantially cylindrical in contour and provided with an integral side wall 11 and being open at its opposite sides. A removable cover plate or side section 12 is bolted or otherwise suitably secured against the open side of the casing 10 to close the same and house the mechanism contained therein.

The interior opening or chamber in the casing 10 is substantially oval or elliptical in form, the'major axis extending substantially horizontally through the chamber. A shaft 13 is journaled through the side walls 11 and 12 of the casing and has mounted thereon a rotor or piston 14 of circular form which is arranged concentrically Within the casing. The rotor 14: provides at opposite sides thereof pockets 15 and 16 formed in the opposite ends-of the chamber or opening in the casing. The piston 14 is of a diameter suflicient to engage the inner walls of the casing 10 at diametrically opposed points substantially coincident with the minor axis of the casing opening. The pockets 15 and 16 are thus closed for intercommunication by means of the iston 14. A sliding abutment 17 is slida' 1y mounted in a radially extending Way in one side of the piston 14: and is normally urged outwardly by means of an expansion spring 18 seated. in said way and bearing against the inner end of the abutment 17. As shown in Fig. 2, the sliding abutment 17 is preferablv made in two laterally disposd parts with an overlapping joint at their meeting edges, the sections of the abutment 17 being adapted to spread apart under the action of the spring 18 to bind the sections closely against the inner sides of the Walls 11 and 12 of the casing.

This two-part or split abutment 17 is adapted to effectively seal the abutment in the casing.

Intake and exhaust ports 19 and 20 are formed in the lower ends of the casing 10 and are in the form of elongated slots opening throughout their length through the inner wall of the casing and being separated by a partition wall 21 arranged in line with the minor axis of the casing opening. The intake port 19 communicates with an intake pipe or manifold 22 connected to any suitable source of supply for feeding a charge to the engine. The exhaust port 20 communicates' at preferably the same side of the motor, with an exhaust pipe 23 which leads to a muiiler or the like the consumed gases. 7 The casing 10 is provided in its top with a compression chamber 24 in the form of a way or passage which opens at one end into the pocket 16 at one side of the rotor 14. and which opens at its opposite end into 10 the pocket 16 at the opposite side of the rotor. The said passage or way 24 is provided intermediate its ends with a dividing web 25 having a valve-seated opening therethrough adapted to be closed by a valve head 26 supported upon a stem 27 which projects through the adjacent side 11 of the casing. An expansion spring 28 is mounted on the outer end of the stem 27 and is retained in compressed position thereon against the side 11 of the casing by means of a washer 29 or the like, the spring 28 being adapted to urge the stem 27 outwardly through the easing and seat the valve head 26 against the web 25. The intake end of the compression 5 chamber 24 is normally closed by means of a valve 30 which is seated in the inner wall of the casing 10 and provided with a stem 31 which projects substantially radially outwardly through the casing. A bearing plug 3 32 is threaded into the casing in axial alinement with the valve 30, and is adapted to hold and guide the stem 31. A sleeve 33 is threaded at one end over the outer end of the plug 32 and is adapted tofextend outwardly about the stem 31. A disk 34 is threaded in the outer end of the sleeve 33 and is provided with an, inwardly extending boss, the disk and the boss forming an outer bearing for the sleeve 33. A spring 35 surrounds the stem 31 between the disk 34 and a pin 36 extending through the stem 31,'the spring 35 normally urging the valve 30 to seat. a

The casing 10 is provided in its top with a threaded bore or opening adapted to receive therein a spark plug 37 for exploding the charge in the casing at a predetermined time, the spark plug 37 being arranged adjacent to the outlet end of the compression on chamber 24.

The charge controlling valve 25 is opened by means of a cam 38 fixed upon the main shaft 13 and hearing at its peripheral port-ion against the head 39. of a rod 40 which is mounted in a casing projection 41 to slide substantially radially through the latter. The outer end of the rod 40 bears against a shoulder formed upon the inner end of a rocking lever 42 pivotally mounted upon a lug 43 which projects from the adjacent wall 11 of the casing. The outer free end of the rocking lever 42 bears against the outer extremity of the stem' 27, and when the rod, 40 is lifted the lever 42 is rocked 66 against the stem 27 to urge the latter inor the discharge of from through the exhaust pipe 23.

wardly against the tension of spring 28 and unseat the valve 26. i

The rotor or piston 14 is provided at opposite sides with marginal annular flanges 44 which extend partly into annular grooves 70 formed in the inner opposite faces of the. sides 11 and 12 of the casing, and which bear against packing rings .or the like seated in said rooves in the casing. Packing strips 45, of metal or the like, are seated in recesses in the opposed inner walls of the casing 10 at the points of contact between the casing and the peripheries of the rotor or piston 14. Springs 36 are preferably seated behind the packing strip 45 to urge the latter outwardly into frictional contact with the piston 14.

The casing 10 may be provided at opposite ends with integral bracket ears 47 adapted to rest upon a frame A or other suitable support.

In operation, the rotor or piston 14 is adaptedto turn in a" direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. The abutment 17 is urged outwardly by thecspring 18 into contact with the inner wallof the casing 10 at all times. As the rotor 14 turns, from the position shown in Fig. 1, the exhaust gases contained in the lower end of the pocket 16 are forced into the exhaust ports 20 and outwardly through the exhaust pipe 23. When the abutment 27 passes the partition 21, its movement causes a partial vacuum in the lower end of the pocket 15, drawing in a fresh charge through the intake pipe 22 and intake port 19. At the same time, the upward movement of the abutment 17 compresses the gases contained in the upper end of the pocket 15 and forces the gases past the spring-seated valve 30 into the compression chamber 24. During this operation, the valve 26 is seated so that the charge compressed into the chamber 24 is retained therein and is subjected to considerable pressure by the drive of the abut- 1W ment 17. As soon however, as the abutment 17 passes the upper outlet opening of the compression chamber 24, and passes the spark plug 37, as shown in Fig. 1, the cam 38 lifts the rod 40 and opens the valve 26. The charge under compression in the chamber 24 is now released and passes into the upper end of the pocket 17. At this time pressure of the gases acting against the abutment 17 and effecting the rotation of the piston 14. It is-of course understood that the valve 30 is normally seated by the spring 35. The abutment 17 is thus forced downwardly by the pressure of the gases and all prior consumed gases lying in the pocket 16 are forced outwardly and downwardly thereit is readily understood that the arrangement of the parts is such that but two valves are employed, one for controlling the passage of the charge into the compression chamber, and the other valve for liberating the gases from the compression chamber at the proper time. The abutment 17 is so arranged in the casing, and the latter is so formed with its intake and exhaust ports 19 and 20, that the abutment first drives out the consumed gases from the pocket 16, and subsequently draws in a fresh charge into the pocket 15. It is not deemed essential to disclose any. spark-controlling mechanism, as any ordinary and well-known devices of this nature may be employed. The chainber 24: preferably opens through the open side of the casing 10 so that when the cover plate 12 is removed therefrom access may be had to all the parts of-the motor, and the parts may be readily removed and assembled in the manufacture and in the repair of the motor.

lt'is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction of the above-specifically deminor axis of the opening and forming a compression intake chamber at one side of the rotor and a combustion chamber at the other side, a passage way formed in said casing and communicating with said compression chamber, a spring controlled normally closed valve controlling the passage of fuel under pressure into said passage way,

a second passage way formed in the casing and having communication with the combustion chamber, said first and second passage ways separated by a wall, a valve in said wall for controlling the passage of fuel from the compression chamber to the combustion chamber.

ARTHUR M. BRIGGS. 

